Stocks Close Mixed but Post Strong Quarter Gains

U.S. stocks closed marginally lower on Monday, but ended June and the second quarter higher. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 25.24 points, or 0.15% to 16,826.60. The Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 0.73 point, or 0.04% to 1960.23. The Nasdaq composite jumped 10.25, or 0.23%, to 4408.18.

The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes shot up in May. But the pace of buying this year remains slower than in 2013. The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 6.1 percent to 103.9 last month.

The economic report that, in some findings, has the second-biggest impact on markets (after the monthly jobs report) is set for release Tuesday, and indications from a variety of regional manufacturing surveys are that the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing report for June will show a healthy economy.

General Motors Co on Monday widened the list of older models it is recalling for potentially deadly ignition switches, adding 8.23 million compact and midsize sedans that it has linked to seven crashes and three fatalities.